Christmas is almost upon us! But let’s be honest; this time of year can be filled with just as much stress as it does merriment. So to save you a mad dash around the High Street on the lead-up to the day, we’ve put together a set of Christmas Gift Guides which should have all bases covered when buying for an average Joe. In this guide, we’re talking all things Booze!
Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka
Price: £33
Website: Ramsbury Estates
A true taste of the English countryside, Ramsbury’s Single Estate Vodka is the perfect warmer for sitting by the fire. Created on the rolling farmlands and woodlands of The Ramsbury’s Wiltshire Estate, their Single Estate range is one of just a handful of distilleries in the world to craft its spirits from field to glass. Both the smooth and characterful Single Estate Vodka and refreshing and slightly sweet Single Estate Gin are crafted using the highest quality Horatio wheat cultivated on the estate, enabling each bottle to be traced back to a single field.
Wild Turkey Longbranch Whisky
Price: £36.95
Website: The Whisky Exchange
If your Joe is a bit of a malt connoisseur then there are plenty of options this Christmas. Our first recommendation comes from across the Atlantic. The latest collaboration to come from Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, Wild Turkey Longbranch is made with eight-year-old Wild Turkey Bourbon and packs an aroma of vanilla and spices, the flavours of caramel and pear, while hints of citrus round out the palate. The finish is subtle and smoky, with notes of gentle pepper and toasted oak. Perfect for falling asleep in front of Die Hard!
Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend Gold Rum
Price: £37.50
Website: Amazon
If you’re more of a rum Joe, Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend is the perfect rum to sip neat or mix into a Christmas cocktail! Made from hand-selected, rare golden rums (all aged for a minimum of 12 years), its flavour profile combines fruity and cocoa notes with delicate molasses, vibrant citrus and hints of coffee, toasted oak and almond. We’d recommend it mixed with ginger beer and a lime wedge.
Jam Shed Shiraz Wine
Price: £7
Website: Sainsbury’s
After a delicious and uncomplicated red? Jam Shed’s Shiraz is your winner. Inspired by Australia’s award-winning Leasingham winery, the Shiraz is rich, smooth and eminently gluggable, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon making it the perfect base for mulled wine should you wish to spice things up a little with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Jameson Caskmates Fourpure Edition
Price: £29.99
Website: Drink Supermarket
Whiskey and beer are no strangers behind the bar, which is why Jameson has bought the pair together for any innovative range this Christmas. Their triple distilled Irish whiskey has been rested in Fourpure’s Shapeshifter West Coast IPA seasoned barrels. The result is the signature smoothness of Jameson with additional notes of tropical fruits, sweet clementine and full-bodied hops from the award-winning beer. It sounds a little odd but we think it’s a winner.
Roku Gin
Price: £30
Website: Waitrose
Our personal Christmas tipple has long been a rather large G&T and this year we’ll be using Roku. Meaning ‘six’ in Japanese, Roku is carefully crafted by Japanese artisans using six botanicals that can only be found in Japan. Each botanical is steeped and distilled in a variety of pot stills to extract the best possible flavour. The taste is a multi-layered, yet harmonious flavour of various botanicals – cherry blossom and green tea provide a floral and sweet aroma, with Yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) as the top note.
Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price: £38.99
Website: Smokehead
Finally, this year we’re also loving Smokehead’s Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. A little more leftfield than traditional Scotches, Smokehead’s creation is salty and ‘seaweedy’, peppery and peaty, smoky and sweet. Not for the faint-hearted!
Fourpure Beer Starter Pack
Price: £12
Website: Fourpure
If your Joe likes discovering new beers, then this starter pack from Bermondsey stalwarts Fourpure has everything you need to start your journey into craft beer. Containing six of Fourpure’s best brews – Basecamp Pilslner Lager 4.7%, Hemishere Session IPA 4.2%, Easy Peeler Citrus Session Pale ale 4%, Juicebox Citrus IPA 5.9%, Shapeshifter West Coast IPA 5.9%, and Last Train Oatmeal Stout 5.1% – it also comes with a special 2/3 pint glass perfect for tasting!
So there we have it, our round-up of all the best beer, whisky and gin available this yuletide! Also don’t forget to check out our other cracking Christmas Gift Guides below…
